Volks gameplan

[OLD RED]

IMO he should have fought Top differntly, specifically by mixing it up more like he did earlier in his career. He should have clinched more to disrupt Ilia's comfort in the stand up exchanges. I would have liked to see some pressure wrestling from Volk especially early on.

Even later when he was hurt he kept trying to punch with Top instead of smothering thr space and not giving him the distance to plant his feet and unload with power punches. I know it's easier said than done but its safe to say Volk can't beat Top fighting him the way he did tonight. He has to make it ugly if he ever wants to beat Top.

Volk should take a year off. He's now been violently knocked out twice in 4 months. He should let his brain recover and come back for super fights only instead of obsessing about getting his belt back and if he somehow does get a rematch he should def mix it up more.

 

[Fossor]

Should have come younger

 

[Rapa]

Bro sorry to tell you but ilia can wrestlefuck volk if he wants to

 

[fortheo]

IMO he should have fought Top differntly, specifically by mixing it up more like he did earlier in his career. He should have clinched more to disrupt Ilia's comfort in the stand up exchanges. I would have liked to see some pressure wrestling from Volk especially early on.

Even later when he was hurt he kept trying to punch with Top instead of smothering him and not giving him the distance to plant his feet and unload power punches. I know it's easier said than done but its safe to say Volk can't beat Top fighting him the way he did tonight. He has to make it ugly if he ever wants to beat Top.

Volk should take a year off. He's now been violently knocked out twice in 4 months. He should let his brain recover and come back for super fights only instead of obsessing about getting his belt back and if he somehow does get a rematch he should def mix it up more.

He said as much himself that he was just about to start mixing things up more. He should have started sooner. I knew it while watching too, even while he was winning on points, topuria was getting closer and closer. More takedown attempts, even if failed, would have helped alleviate some of that heavy pressure topuria was putting on.

 

[JustBreed]

IMO he should have fought Top differntly, specifically by mixing it up more like he did earlier in his career. He should have clinched more to disrupt Ilia's comfort in the stand up exchanges. I would have liked to see some pressure wrestling from Volk especially early on.

Even later when he was hurt he kept trying to punch with Top instead of smothering him and not giving him the distance to plant his feet and unload power punches. I know it's easier said than done but its safe to say Volk can't beat Top fighting him the way he did tonight. He has to make it ugly if he ever wants to beat Top.

Volk should take a year off. He's now been violently knocked out twice in 4 months. He should let his brain recover and come back for super fights only instead of obsessing about getting his belt back and if he somehow does get a rematch he should def mix it up more.

Volk tried clinching at one point and Topuria immediately ripped body shots. Volk let go pretty quick.

 

[BigSexy444]

Should have come younger

If he came in younger, faster, stronger, and not eaten a head kick a few months ago, I think there is a chance he wins last night.

 

[duke_droese]

Topuria looked like he had Volk's number.

He's different to Holloway because of the power. Volk gets hit every fight.

 

[HatKick]

I don't know. Topuria is a dangerous guy to get close to and I don't know if Volk can take him down (much less keep him down) except if he times a perfect doubleleg. Topuria has that LW strength, a stocky build and a solid wrestling base.
I thought his best chance was to pick him apart from the outside with legkicks and darting straight punches like he did with Max and Ortega. And it was kinda working but I guess he's not as fast as he used to be and Ilia is lightning fast himself.

 

[UFConFOX]

Volk tried clinching at one point and Topuria immediately ripped body shots. Volk let go pretty quick.

Not what I saw. I saw Volk land 2 knees to the body and Ilia attempted to break and Volk landed a third to the head on the break. Volk had him in Thai clinch essentially giving up the body shots to trade for knees. And with Ilia forcing the break it was clear who was getting the better of that position.

Perhaps I'm blinded by some of Volk's amazing performances (when I was a hater and doubter via being a Max fan) but honestly early in the second it was clear to me the only way Ilia could win is a big punch landing clean. People can try to pretend like Volk was slowing but I saw the opposite. I saw Topuria feeling like he needed to end it as he started wearing damage heavy on his face in rd 2.

I typically rewatch by now but haven't yet. I'll catch it again after breakfast and perhaps share some updated or different thoughts. But yeah I'm not seeing all the "told you so" Volk stuff. He was making Ilia entirely 1-dimensional by piling up the volume, being more accurate, and debilitating Ilia's lateral movement by destroying his leg. It's what Volk does to everybody. He just got caught w/ the 1 dimension Ilia had left.

That's how I recall it. Lets see what a second viewing suggests.

 

[JustBreed]

Not what I saw. I saw Volk land 2 knees to the body and Ilia attempted to break and Volk landed a third to the head on the break. Volk had him in Thai clinch essentially giving up the body shots to trade for knees. And with Ilia forcing the break it was clear who was getting the better of that position.

Perhaps I'm blinded by some of Volk's amazing performances (when I was a hater and doubter via being a Max fan) but honestly early in the second it was clear to me the only way Ilia could win is a big punch landing clean. People can try to pretend like Volk was slowing but I saw the opposite. I saw Topuria feeling like he needed to end it as he started wearing damage heavy on his face in rd 2.

I typically rewatch by now but haven't yet. I'll catch it again after breakfast and perhaps share some updated or different thoughts. But yeah I'm not seeing all the "told you so" Volk stuff. He was making Ilia entirely 1-dimensional by piling up the volume, being more accurate, and debilitating Ilia's lateral movement by destroying his leg. It's what Volk does to everybody. He just got caught w/ the 1 dimension Ilia had left.

That's how I recall it. Lets see what a second viewing suggests.

Yeah I'm going off one viewing too so I could have it wrong. I did feel like Top was becoming more active in and inching closer in that second round.